Digital medical diagnostic imaging systems can be operably coupled to a portable X-ray detector through a wireless communication path and/or a wired communication path. Where the portable X-ray detector is operably coupled to a digital medical diagnostic imaging system through a wireless communication path, the portable X-ray detector is often referred to as a wireless portable X-ray detector.
A portable X-ray detector facilitates patient positioning with ease for the patient while also relieving the X-ray radiologist from wielding a cumbersome and heavy tether. However, one problem of a portable X-ray detector is the integrity of the image data that is stored in volatile memory. Portable X-ray detectors are conventionally powered by batteries. Batteries are used in order to improve portability of the portable X-ray detector. Batteries provide a limited amount of power, and eventually, the amount of power provided by a battery will decrease to a point beyond which the portable X-ray detector cannot function.
When the portable X-ray detector does not receive sufficient power from the batteries to function, quite often, the volatile memory loses image data stored in the volatile memory. If this power failure occurs before the image data has been completely and successfully transmitted to an external device, the data is lost or corrupted and the exposure must be retaken, meaning additional radiation to the patient. This also represents additional cost that is born by the facility that operates the portable X-ray detector.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art to reduce the risk of exposing a medical patient to additional radiation in retaking an exposure after failure of the power supply and before the portable X-ray device or other device that captures medical images has completely and successfully transmitted the image data to an external device from the volatile storage medium of the portable X-ray detector. There is also a need in the art to eliminate the additional cost in retaking an exposure of the patient after failure of the power supply before the portable X-ray device has completely and successfully transmitted the image data to an external device from the volatile storage medium of the portable X-ray detector.